Religion in Colonial American Literature

Religion in Colonial American Literature

The puritans in early colonial times held the beliefs of human beings existing for the glory of God. They believe in expressing God's will through Bible teachings and searching their souls for signs of grace. They also believed in the original sin created by Adam's first act of disobedience. The puritans believed that good is accomplished only by self-discipline and hard work (University of Phoenix, 2011, p. 2.) and hoped for the community to base their beliefs and actions strictly from the Bible. This form of government is known as theocracy.

John Winthrop, Mary Rowlandson, and Cotton Mather were Puritans and believed writing was a tool for providing spiritual insight and instructions. Hymns, biographies, autobiographies, and studies prove ones commitment to the Puritan way of life.

John Winthrop

John Winthrop was a Puritan governor for 20 years. In pursuit of liberty of conscience, he set sail for the New World on March 29, 1630 (Bynam, 2008). He began writing a journal on the ship Arbella and continued writing in this journal until his death in 1649. He was a devout Christian who believed in doing good, just and honest acts. On the voyage to the New World he preached a sermon to the people on ship of his ideas of Christian charity and how they can create success for the colony. He stressed the need for a community committed to God and a "City on Hill" (University of Phoenix, 2011, p. 1.). He believes community members are important to hold the society together and become a community of Christ. One person's interests are not more important than the interests of others. "I John:3.10: Ye ought to lay down your lives for the brethren" (Bynam, 2008, p. 82). "Galatians:6.2: "bear ye one another's burthens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Bynam, 2008, p. 82).

His religious views influenced his works on crimes, trials, Indians, political, church matters, and events that prove a moral point. His faith and commitment to the ideals of the Puritans was a dominant force in his life. Seeking to reform the Church of England from within led to his greatest work "A Model of Christian Charity" extols the virtues of a social and spiritual society and a model society will protect itself from the enemy's criticisms and encourage others to seek the same concepts. His religious convictions and optimistic interpretations of the Puritan's mission to fulfill the biblical prophecy of maintaining purity were a driving force behind his literature works. "Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live by obeying His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity" (Bynam, 2008, p. 87.).

Mary Rowlandson

Mary Rowlandson was a housewife and mother. She married Reverend Joseph Rowlandson, a Harvard educated Puritan minister. She was attacked on February 10, 1676, and held captive for 11 weeks during the "King Philips War" (Bynam, 2008, p. 117). The colony was attacked after colonists had killed three tribesmen in Plymouth. Mary Rowlandson's most famous work was "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" that reflected the trauma of captivation and how God's love saved her. During captivity she experienced the same hardships as her Indian captives such as lack of food, and constantly moving camp from one location to another.

In the beginning, she believed Native Americans were Satanists without souls and were sent to her community to torment her and others for their sins. Her narrative begins with vivid descriptions of the Indians as barbarians and savages but changes her description after adapting to the Indians' ways to survive. She sees her captors as agents of the devil and